This building contains three rooms: The Loft, The Stage Head and The Bernier Room. Each is unique and designed differently. All rooms have a full bathroom, refrigerator, coffee pot, microwave, and satellite television.
The building was constructed by the Bridle family of Red Bay in the 1930s. It was used for storage, as part of their commercial enterprise Red Bay Stores Ltd. This business operated in the inshore fishery sector, buying fish from local fishermen and supplying them with fuel and provisions. With changes to the inshore fishery in the 1970s, and its eventual closure, the building fell into disuse.
In 1980 the building was purchased by Dr James A. Tuck (archaeologist, Memorial University of Newfoundland) for use as a research laboratory. An extension was made to the building, including a second-story room. The building became the focal point of land-based archeological research in Red Bay until 1991. Artifact conservation was supervised by staff from the Canadian Conservation Institute, and all discoveries were catalogued using the first computers in Red Bay (and maybe all of Labrador).
Following the conclusion of research work Dr Tuck returned the building to the Bridle family. In recent years it has been extensively renovated by Clarus and Marilyn Bridle, owners of the Whaler's Station, for use as public accommodations.
The Stage Head room offers an excellent view of Red Bay Harbour, which is almost literally at your feet. The room is equipped with two double beds, a couch, bathroom and amenities — coffee pot, microwave oven and satellite television.
The Dictionary of Newfoundland English defines a Fishing Stage as, "an elevated platform on the shore with working tables, sheds, etc, where fish are landed and processed for salting and drying, and fishing gear and supplies are stored."
The Stage Head is the "end of a fishing stage which extends over the water where fish is landed."
The Bernier Room is fitted with a queen-size bed and settee. It includes a bathroom, refrigerator and amenities — coffee pot, microwave oven, and satellite television.
In the 1960s the Bernier (a freighter out of Quebec) experienced engine failure and anchored in Red Bay Harbour while awaiting repairs. A late fall windstorm caught the vessel unprepared. It dragged its anchor, blew across the harbour and was wrecked on the rocky shore of Saddle Island.
The wreck of the Bernier mirrored another event which happened 400 years earlier, when, in another fall storm, the Basque whaling vessel San Juan dragged anchor and was wrecked on the Saddle Island shore.
History does repeat itself....
Overlooking Red Bay Harbour, the Strand House has a main floor living room with a pull-out bed, and an upstairs bedroom with two double beds. There is a bathroom, refrigerator and amenities — coffee pot, microwave oven and satellite television.
The Strand House was originally a storage building constructed by M. Organ Ltd., a former merchant enterprise in Red Bay. The building fell into disuse following the closure of the commercial codfishery and was later acquired by the Whaler's Station. It's located on the waterfront, a very short walk from our restaurant and the Interpretation Centre.
The interior of the Strand House has been extensively renovated to provide comfortable and pleasing accommodations. The original exterior has been retained, to preserve the authentic appearance of Red Bay's waterfront area.
